Matrix division not returning enough decimal places

I am trying to complete a school project using R2018a but I can't get my intermediate values (Eq1x) accurate enough to accurately use polyfit.

format long
T = [196.85, 206.85, 216.85, 226.85, 236.85];

T = T + 273.15; %converts T from celcius to K %T = [470, 480, 490, 500, 510]

Eq1x = (1./T); %inverse of the temperture in K

format long

When I run this, variable Eq1x returns [0.0021, 0.0021, 0.0020, 0.0020, 0.0020].

When I plug these into my TI calculator, I get [0.0021277, 0.0020833, 0.0020408, 0.002000, 0.0019607]

How can I get matlab to return values similar to my calculator values?

[jessupj]

try 'format long g'

[Mitchell Belz]

I just tried that, but it was still returning the rounded values

Answer 1

[Ameer Hamza]

I guess you are looking at the variable value in Variable browser window. 'format long' applies to the command window. Run your code and then run following line in the command window

Eq1x

without semicolon.

[Mitchell Belz]

That worked! thank you!

Will the values shown in the command window be the ones used in the caluclations?

[Ameer Hamza]

I am glad to be of help.

Yes, internally, they are stored like that. You can even see these values in the variable browser window by double-clicking the cells.

[jessupj]

why assume op is looking at the value in the browser window after op states matlab is 'returning the rounded values'?

[Mitchell Belz]

Thank you both. before i used format long g I couldnt even see the full values in the cells of the variable.

[Ameer Hamza]

I just guessed based on the description. After running format long, the command window will be displaying 15 digits after decimal point (unless there are some serious issues with MATLAB installation). So the only explanation was that the OP was looking at the variable browser window, which displays four digits by default.